Beer of the Week (w/e 22nd June 2014)

[ROBCamra]

Mobyduck: Mash Amber Mash
Real Ale Ray: Dickensian Brewery David Hopperfield
Aqualung: Clouded Minds Dolce Vita IPA
london calling: Bristol Beer Factory Double IPA
Bucking Fastard: Magic Rock Chipotle Punchline
Wittenden: Rother Valley Summer Time Blues
hondo: Kozel Lager
oldboots: Mallinsons Danger Hops
Thuck Phat: Hopcraft/Northern Monk Crafty Monk
aleandhearty: Hopcraft/Northern Monk Crafty Monk
ROBCamra: Popes Worcester Gold

[Mobyduck]

Only three different beers for me this week, but copious amounts of all , especially Darkstar Apa on Friday night(my birthday) causing me to miss half of Saturday, before consciousness redressed the balance.
Darkstar American Pale Ale 4.7%
Darkstar Hophead 3.8%
Mash Amber Mash 4.3%
I shall nominate the Amber Mash as it was new to me but all were good.

[Real Ale Ray]

Many happy returns for last Friday Moby, sounds as though you had a good one.
My BOTW was Dickensian Brewery - David Hopperfield 4%.

[Aqualung]

A quiet week for me :-

Sambrook's Archer Mild 3.6%
Wantsum 1381 3.8%
Greene King Yardbird 4.0%
Lee's Game On 4.2%
Portobello Star 4.3%
Wantsum Yellowtail 4.5%
Freeminer Speculation 4.8%
Clarence & Frederick's Strong Mild 4.8%
Portobello APA 5.0%
Adnam's Cerveja Cubitiba Brazilian PA 5.0%
Moorhouse’s Pendle Witches Brew 5.1%
Everard's Original 5.2%
Clouded Minds Dolce Vita IPA 6.2%

The best was really the Portobello Star but it was a pale ale and Star is supposed to be their Boring Brown Beer!
The Wantsum beers were very nice but the best was the Clouded Minds Dolce Vita IPA at £2.60 in the Leyton William IV.



BOTW Clouded Minds Dolce Vita IPA

[Mobyduck]

Many happy returns for last Friday Moby, sounds as though you had a good one.
Thanks Ray it was truly unmemorable which means it must have been good. :drinkup:

[london calling]

Bristol beer factory -double ipa 8.5 (keg ) in the Queens Head Kings Cross was gert lush.

[Bucking Fastard]

Outstanding ale quality in Huddersfield and the added bonus of the company of a&h led to some solid consumption.

Rudgate -- Brew no 5
Empire -- Commerciale (3PT)
Magic Star -- Ringmaster
Rat -- White Rat
Rat -- James Herbert
Rat -- The Rat of Khan
Magic Rock -- Chipotle Punchline
Salopian -- Golden Thread
Copper Dragon -- Golden Pippin.


Although the Rat beers were all superb,I just have to give BOTW to Magic Rock Chipotle Punchline. The pump clip described it as a chocolate porter and the staff at The Grove had usefully drawn a chilli next to the blackboard listing,but rather than being a bizarre brew it worked perfectly with subtle chocolate,firm bitterness and a good chilli kick.Slipped down despite it's high ABV.

[Wittenden]

Just the one (pub) beer taken this week-Rother Valley Summer Time Blues (4.1%abv), presumably a summer version of their Blues, a winter heavyweight. In a spirit of contrarianism, this is
fairly dark, with Rother Valley's trade mark dusty combine harvester on a hot day graininess,coupled with blackcurrant hops.My BOTW.

[hondo]

Kozel - keg lager

[oldboots]

Robinsons - Dizzy Blonde
Two Roses - Heron Porter
York - Guzzler
Taylors - Golden Best
Mallinsons - Danger Hops
Bad Seed - Cascadian Light Ale
Camerons - IPA
AB-InBEV - Stella Artois
Roosters - Yankee
Camden - Pale Ale
Brown Cow - Shambles Stumbler
? - Pit Canary
Sam Smiths - Old Brewery Bitter
Pheonix - Arizona
Oakham - Bishop's Farewell
Loch Ness - Hoppy Ness


Mallinsons - Danger Hops; an easy winner in a dreadful week for beer, nearly everything was either off or tired

[Thuck Phat]

A very good week:
Rudgate Brew No 5
Empire Commerciale*
Rat James Herbert*
Rat The Rat of Khan*
Hopcraft/Northern Monk Crafty Monk*
Salopian Golden Thread*
Copper Dragon Golden Pippin
Oakham Bishops Farewell*
Titanic Iceberg*
Blue Monkey Ape Ale*

As the number of asteriks suggest, in any other week these beers would have taken the title and a special mention must go to the Rat beers tried at the brewery tap in Huddersfield as all were excellent.
BOTW was Hopcraft/Northern Monk - Crafty Monk, a 5.7% red IPA. I can't top the brewers description so here it is:
"We brewed a strong-ish (it should be around 5.7% or so) red IPA - so watch Roger Protz go apoplectic about this further nonsensical beer style - with what must be the biggest hop charge we’ve used thus far (and probably the most expensive too...!) with over 2kg per barrel of lovely Summit, Citra, Galaxy, Simcoe, Centennial and Chinook all drowned in the name of lupuliciousness."
Not for some but for me it was fabulous.

[Wittenden]

A very good week:
Rudgate Brew No 5
Empire Commerciale*
Rat James Herbert*
Rat The Rat of Khan*
Hopcraft/Northern Monk Crafty Monk*
Salopian Golden Thread*
Copper Dragon Golden Pippin
Oakham Bishops Farewell*
Titanic Iceberg*
Blue Monkey Ape Ale*

As the number of asteriks suggest, in any other week these beers would have taken the title and a special mention must go to the Rat beers tried at the brewery tap in Huddersfield as all were excellent.
BOTW was Hopcraft/Northern Monk - Crafty Monk, a 5.7% red IPA. I can't top the brewers description so here it is:
"We brewed a strong-ish (it should be around 5.7% or so) red IPA - so watch Roger Protz go apoplectic about this further nonsensical beer style - with what must be the biggest hop charge we’ve used thus far (and probably the most expensive too...!) with over 2kg per barrel of lovely Summit, Citra, Galaxy, Simcoe, Centennial and Chinook all drowned in the name of lupuliciousness."
Not for some but for me it was fabulous.

Not tried it unfortunately,but strikes me as over egging the pudding!

[aleandhearty]

A good week for me, including an all too brief session in the excellent company of Thuck Phat and Bucking Fastard, managing to take in three of Huddersfield's finest.

Allgates - Barley Brook.
Shiny - Golden Mild.*
Phoenix - Midsummer Madness.
1648 - Sacred Solstice.
Great Heck - Golden Bull.
Great Heck - Porter.
Fernandes - Octohop.
Fernandes - Sunshine IPA.*
Fernandes - Janie's Addiction.
Fernandes - Tropical Breeze.
Lymestone - Stone Cutter.
Clarks - Jutland.
Pictish - Brewers Gold.
Salopian - Golden Thread.*
Brew Co - Mosaic.*
First Chop - TOC.
Welbeck Abbey - Harley.
Salamander - Mr President.
Rat - James Herbert.*
Rat - Rat of Khan.*
Hopcraft / Northern Monk - Crafty Monk.*
Durham - Citra Nova.
Abbeydale - Black Mass.*
Magic Rock - Ringmaster.*

A strong list this week, but the Crafty Monk was the one that stood out, really impressing both TP and myself. If I hadn't been so time squeezed, I suspect several more might have been sunk.

[Mobyduck]

? - Pit Canary
Wharfe Bank Brewery ?
https://untappd.com/b/wharfebank-brewery-pit-canary/444377.

[Thuck Phat]

Not tried it unfortunately,but strikes me as over egging the pudding!

It does and I hadn't read that before I tried it but found it interesting having done so.

It certainly didn't taste as though the pudding had been over egged though - dare I say that the flavour was well balanced -and I'd happily try a few more if I see it again.

[oldboots]

Wharfe Bank Brewery ?
https://untappd.com/b/wharfebank-brewery-pit-canary/444377.

Yep that's the one. I had it in York, sadly it was dross. Thanks for the info.

[Aqualung]

I feel obliged to intervene here. I had a Wharfebank Black IPA at the last Spoons fest and found it to be average in two different Spoons.
Hopcraft beers have been sold for a while in the William IV in Leyton and when the Brodie's brewer has entered the bar and tried them I have it on authority that he hasn't been a happy bunny as they have mostly been as good or better than his own brews. In my experience their beers are truly exceptional. I'm reluctant to put beers in the Brilliant category but did it for their Beast.

[oldboots]

I live about 15 miles from Pool in Wharfedale where Wharfebank are based and so I drink them quite often. I find their beers generally good although not in the same league as Roosters or Kirkstall so your assessment as average is maybe a little harsh on Spoons. They also market beer under the name Firestorm. I can't blame the York pub I drank it in for Pit Canary as it was on keg so should have been as Wharfebank intended.

[Aqualung]

I live about 15 miles from Pool in Wharfedale where Wharfebank are based and so I drink them quite often. I find their beers generally good although not in the same league as Roosters or Kirkstall so your assessment as average is maybe a little harsh on Spoons. They also market beer under the name Firestorm. I can't blame the York pub I drank it in for Pit Canary as it was on keg so should have been as Wharfebank intended.

Yes, "average" probably was a bit strong, my main problem was that it didn't taste much like a Black IPA. Maybe they should have just described it as a dark bitter.
The beer in question was called Black Geld.

[aleandhearty]

Wharfebank...I find their beers generally good although not in the same league as Roosters or Kirkstall...

Pretty much my view, don't think I've ever had a Wharfebank beer to set the pulse racing. Just as an aside, I think with the arrival of the Wharfedale brewery, there's going to be some confusion between the two, for those outside the immediate area.

[london calling]

I live about 15 miles from Pool in Wharfedale where Wharfebank are based and so I drink them quite often. I find their beers generally good although not in the same league as Roosters or Kirkstall so your assessment as average is maybe a little harsh on Spoons. They also market beer under the name Firestorm. I can't blame the York pub I drank it in for Pit Canary as it was on keg so should have been as Wharfebank intended.

I have 5 or 6 Wharfebank beers and they have been mostly flavourless and below average.All drank in London.Just checked my notes for last week and I had Washburn bitter which was very good and in brackets beside it ( first good beer from this brewery)

[ROBCamra]

A close call this week between 2 very different beers, both tried in The Baum.

Salamander Mr President, a really smooth porter at 4.8% and Popes Worcester Gold an easy drinking 4% light hoppy beer.

I thik I'll award it to the Popes one simply because I drank a lot more of it. :cheers: